"RESTORING THE BALANCE"

The royal representative, a stern-looking man in official attire, arrived at the gates of the Amsterdam estate with a small entourage of guards. He carried with him an official scroll bearing the seal of the Empress, which he intended to use to take the injured Crown Prince back to the royal palace.

The butler of the Amsterdam estate, a burly man with a stern expression, greeted the royal representative at the gates. "What is the meaning of this intrusion?" he demanded, blocking the way to the estate.

"I have come with an official order from the Empress herself," the royal representative replied, holding up the scroll. "I demand to be allowed to enter and retrieve the Crown Prince."

The butler scoffed. "The Crown Prince is under our protection and care. We will not allow him to be taken back to the royal palace until he has fully recovered."

The royal representative grew visibly angry. "This is an order from the Empress herself! You have no right to defy her will!"

The butler remained steadfast. "I have no intention of defying the Empress, but I will not allow the Crown Prince to be put in danger again. He will stay here until he is fully healed."

The two men continued to argue, with the butler standing firm and the royal representative growing increasingly frustrated. Finally, the butler ordered the gates to be closed, effectively barring the royal representative and his guards from entering the estate.

The royal representative stormed off in a huff, muttering about the Amsterdam family's arrogance and defiance of the royal authority. The butler, meanwhile, stood at the gates, his eyes fixed on the horizon, ever vigilant for any further threats to the safety of his charge.

The Royal Representative, angered by the Butler's refusal, attempted to break through the gates of the Amsterdam estate. However, just as he was about to make his way in, the Grand Elder appeared, his presence commanding respect.

The Royal Representative froze in his tracks, unsure of how to proceed. The Grand Elder spoke firmly and with authority, "I am the Grand Elder of the Amsterdam family. You have no right to enter this estate without permission. Moreover, the Amsterdam family is not subject to the Empress, and we are independent from the Royal Family. Any edict from the royal family should not be used to threaten us."

The Royal Representative, taken aback by the Grand Elder's words, hesitated for a moment before finally bowing and backing away. He knew that the Grand Elder's words carried weight and that it would be unwise to ignore them.

The Grand Elder watched as the Royal Representative retreated before turning to the Butler, "Make sure that the Crown Prince is well taken care of, and that no one enters this estate without proper authorization."

The Butler nodded, "Yes, Grand Elder."

As the Grand Elder walked away, the Butler breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that the Amsterdam family was not one to be trifled with, and he was glad that the Grand Elder had stepped in to prevent any further trouble.

The Royal representative rushed into the Empress' chamber and knelt before her, sweating profusely. "Your Highness, I bring grave news," he said, trying to catch his breath.

"What is it?" The Empress asked with a stern tone.

"The Amsterdam family has refused to comply with your orders to hand over the Crown Prince," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"What? How dare they?" The Empress exclaimed, her eyes blazing with anger. "Send our troops to their estate at once! We will not tolerate disobedience!"

"Your Highness, we cannot do that," the Royal representative said, hesitating for a moment. "The Grand Elder of the White Dragon Clan, their protector, has warned us that the Amsterdam family is not under our jurisdiction and that any attempt to threaten them would be met with resistance."

The Empress narrowed her eyes, clenching her fists in frustration. "Those Amsterdam scoundrels dare to defy me! I will not stand for this insolence! Prepare my troops and send them to the Amsterdam estate. We will take the Crown Prince by force if we must!"

The Royal representative bowed deeply. "As you wish, Your Highness," he said, and quickly exited the chamber to carry out the Empress' orders but a figure appeared in front of the Door

The Emperor entered the Empress chamber, his expression stern and his voice carrying an unmistakable warning. "What are you thinking, Empress? Your movement against the Amsterdam family will only result in disaster for us all. The high nobles' status and influence are far greater than that of the royal family. Any threats and aggression towards them will result in the downfall of any royal faction."

The Empress tried to mask her surprise and frustration at the Emperor's sudden intrusion, but it was clear that his words had shaken her. "I am only doing what I must to maintain order and discipline in the court," she protested.

The Emperor's gaze hardened. "Do not deceive yourself, Empress. The Amsterdam family has been a loyal vassal to the throne for generations, and they have protected the North and our people with their lives. They have earned the right to their independence and respect."

The Empress opened her mouth to retort, but the Emperor held up a hand to silence her. "Listen carefully, Empress. If you make any more moves against the Amsterdam family or any other high noble, I will personally see to it that you are stripped of your power and position. Remember your place."

With that, the Emperor turned on his heel and strode out of the room, leaving the Empress to ponder his warning and her own ambitions.

The Crown Prince slowly opened his eyes and found himself in a luxurious guest room at the Amsterdam estate. He groaned as he tried to sit up, feeling a dull pain in his chest and head.

"Ah, you're awake, Your Highness!" said one of the Amsterdam maids as she rushed to his side. "Please, lie down and let us attend to your wounds."

The Crown Prince nodded weakly and lay back down on the soft bed as the maids tended to him. They changed his bandages, applied ointments, and gave him some medicine to help with the pain.

As he lay there, the Crown Prince remembered the ambush and the pain he felt when he was struck by a sword. He also remembered the bravery of the Amsterdam family and their dragon protectors who came to his aid.

"Thank you," he said softly to the maids. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"It is our honor, Your Highness," replied the maid with a warm smile.

As Lord Arin entered the room, he saw the crown prince sitting up in bed with a bandage on his forehead. The Amsterdam maids immediately bowed and stepped back to give Lord Arin some space.

"How are you feeling, Your Highness?" Lord Arin asked, his concern evident in his voice.

The crown prince looked up at Lord Arin and gave a weak smile. "I'm feeling better now, thank you," he replied.

Lord Arin nodded and walked towards the bed, checking the prince's wounds. "You had us all worried, Your Highness. You must rest and regain your strength," he advised.

The crown prince nodded, "Thank you, Lord Arin, for taking care of me. And for the Amsterdam family's help in fortifying the defenses of the northern fortress."

"It's our duty to assist the Empire," Lord Arin replied. "Rest now, Your Highness, and we will keep watch over you."

"Lord Arin, I want to talk to you privately if you would allow me" the Crown Prince asked "Sure", Lord Arin look at the people around and they already knew their lords order and vanished the room

Lord Arin listened carefully as the Crown Prince spoke about his ambush. His expression became grave as the prince mentioned the use of a pill that transformed the attackers into humanoid monsters.

Lord Arin leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the Crown Prince. "Your Highness, this is a grave matter. We must investigate this further to find out who is behind this and what their purpose is."

The Crown Prince nodded in agreement. "I fear that this may be a plot against the Empire itself. We must act quickly to prevent any further attacks."

Lord Arin stood up, his hand on his sword. "Your Highness, rest assured that the Amsterdam family will do everything in our power to protect the Empire and its people. We will not let this go unpunished."

The Crown Prince smiled faintly. "I have no doubt about that, Lord Arin. Your family has always been loyal to the Empire, and I trust that you will do what is necessary to keep it safe."

As the year passed, the Crown Prince had fully recovered and had grown stronger. He had spent most of his time in the Amsterdam estate with Lord Arin, training and learning about the ways of the shadow knights. However, he knew that he had to return to the Royal Palace and continue his duties as the Crown Prince.

On the day of his departure, Lord Arin accompanied him to the gates of the estate. "I am proud of how far you've come, my Prince," Lord Arin said with a smile. "I know you will make a great leader one day."

The Crown Prince smiled back at him. "I couldn't have done it without you, Lord Arin. You have been like a father to me.", he said that make Lord Arin to laugh "I am much younger than you are", he said and continue to laugh

As they said their goodbyes, Lord Arin handed him a small package. "Take this with you. It contains a letter and a gift from the Amsterdam family."

The Crown Prince thanked him and mounted his horse, accompanied by his loyal knights. As they rode away, he couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness at leaving the Amsterdam estate. He had grown to love the place and the people there.

After a few days of traveling, the Crown Prince finally arrived at the Royal Palace. He was greeted by the court officials and the Empress herself. She hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear, "I am glad to have you back, my dear son."

The Crown Prince could feel her cold and calculating demeanor, but he kept his composure and nodded respectfully. He knew that he had to be careful around her.

As he settled back into his duties as the Crown Prince, he couldn't help but think about Lord Arin and the Amsterdam family. He missed them dearly, but he knew that he had to focus on his responsibilities.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. The Crown Prince worked tirelessly to fulfill his duties, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was not right. He couldn't help but think about the attackers who had ambushed him and the mysterious pill they had used to enhance their powers.

One day, he decided to investigate the matter on his own. He ordered his knights to gather information about the pill and the attackers. It wasn't long before they came back with some valuable information.

The pill was called "The Black Dragon's Breath," and it was a forbidden potion that was only used by the Dark Dragon Clan. The attackers were identified as members of the Dark Dragon Clan, and they were hired by someone within the Royal Palace.

"So the Imperial Court is making their moved, Lord Arins warning about me being targeted is actually real" the crown prince uttered

The Crown Prince sat in his chambers, reading the letter that Lord Arin had given him before his departure from the Amsterdam estate. As he read through the contents of the letter, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease wash over him.

Lord Arin had warned him about the power struggles within the Imperial court, and how he had become the center of attention in the midst of it all. But he also explained that there were similar struggles within the Royal faction, which would provide some level of safety for the Crown Prince.

As he continued reading, the Crown Prince came across the part of the letter where Lord Arin urged him to use his authority as the Crown Prince, and not be a puppet to any royals. Lord Arin suggested that the Crown Prince announce an allegiance between his faction and the Amsterdam family, which would allow him to exert a stronger influence in the Royal circles.

The Crown Prince paused, deep in thought. He knew that making such an announcement would be a bold move, one that would likely be met with resistance from the other factions. But he also knew that Lord Arin was right - he couldn't afford to be a pawn in someone else's game.

After a moment of contemplation, the Crown Prince made up his mind. He would heed Lord Arin's advice and announce his allegiance with the Amsterdam family. It was time for him to take control of his own fate and make his mark on the Imperial court.